Etherpad Lite - node.js alternative to a fat java beast “…really real-time document collaboration for groups of users..”

• howto, approved 5.2.2012 :: https://github.com/Pita/etherpad-lite/blob/master/README.md

• install nodejs and npm (node package manager)
  • debian squeeze doesnt have nodejs and npm :(
  • install from experimental repo – sid is too old! – or
  • best is to compile http://nodejs.org/dist/v0.6.10/node-v0.6.10.tar.gz
  • recent versions of nodejs and npm are required!

• clone etherpad-lite git repo
• run bin/installDeps.sh
  • you need space in /tmp/ when 'npm install * ' downloads the modules ^^

• create a etherpad user
• run as etherpad user:
  • su etherpad
  • etherpad-lite/bin/run.sh

• visit http://localhost:9001

• trouble?
  • wait > 30sec, before etherpad is up!
  • errors from etherpad?
  • check logs
  • check your firewall: port 9001 must be open

• mysql - IF you like:
  • CREATE DATABASE `etherpad` CHARACTER SET='utf8';
  • CREATE USER 'etherpad'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'PUT YOUR PASS HERE!';
  • GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON `etherpad` . * TO 'etherpad'@'localhost' WITH GRANT OPTION ;
  • Edit settings.json in your Etherpad Lite root folder and change the database settings to these values

• branches do not work currently (02.2012) :: no headline buttons, not tables, yet

• development templates: look in /static/custom. These template files are included in index, pad and timeslider pages
  • https://github.com/Pita/etherpad-lite/wiki/How-to-customize-your-Etherpad-Lite-installation

aptitude install abiword

Edit settings.json to point to abiword:

"abiword" : "/usr/bin/abiword",

Export current pad as

• HTML
• Plain text
• Microsoft Word
• PDF
• OpenDocument
• DokuWiki text
• Wordle

works completly!!

Import from

• text file
• HTML
• PDF – not much formatting, but text is complete
• Word – works!! - even russian texts
• ODT – encoding probs
• RTF

sometimes abiword dies, - most often when importing ODT: “Abiword died with exit code null”

• find it here: https://github.com/Pita/etherpad-lite/wiki/How-to-deploy-Etherpad-Lite-as-a-service